timing
part of speech
noun (timing, uncountable; a timing in technical use); also the -ing form of the verb «time» (time, times, timed, timing)
meaning for a pupil
1) Timing is choosing the right moment to do something. tree →
2) Timing is measuring how long something takes, for example with a stopwatch. tree →
3) In music, sport and jokes, timing is doing things exactly on the beat or at the best moment. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science lessons pupils practise timing an experiment, such as how long ice takes to melt, using a stopwatch. In PE, a runner's timing is checked. In everyday life «good timing» means something happened at just the right moment; «bad timing» means the wrong moment. Comedians need good timing. Phrases: «good timing», «perfect timing», «bad timing», «the timing of».
examples
- You arrived just as dinner was ready — perfect timing! tree →
- We were timing how long the candle took to burn down. tree →
- Good timing helps you catch a ball. tree →
- The joke was funny because of his timing. tree →
- Asking for a puppy during the argument was bad timing. tree →
- In the race, Mr Lee was timing us with a stopwatch. tree →
- The drummer's timing kept the whole band together. tree →
- Timing matters when you cross the road at a crossing. tree →
note
Mostly uncountable: «good timing», not «a good timing». As a verb form: «I am timing you» (measuring time). In maths problems timing means finding how long something lasts: end time minus start time. Spelling: drop the e of «time» before -ing.
In the corpora
- Good secrets are about timing, like a surprise party that ends in a happy moment.
- Most people think jobs are quicker than they really are, so timing them once helps you plan.
- Most people think jobs take less time than they really do; timing a job once shows how long it takes.
- A satnav or phone finds its position by timing radio signals from at least four satellites in orbit.
- Galileo noticed this watching a swinging lamp in a cathedral, timing it with his pulse.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «timing» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.